What can we expect from Melbourne?
The start of a new Formula One season is just days away. Preseason testing has finished and the teams have arrived in Melbourne to set up for the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. So, as F1 heads into a new era with new owners, what can we expect from Melbourne?
Establishing the pecking order
An impressive showing in winter testing doesn’t always guarantee success, as Ferrari discovered last year. But this season Ferrari genuinely seems to have narrowed the gap to Mercedes. Ferrari were quickest across preseason testing and should have more performance in hand, and their 2017 challenger looks stable and quick. Mercedes will open as the favourites and will likely be the team to beat. Red Bull could be closer as well. The RB13 is aerodynamically sound, and some last-minute engine updates from Renault should make them competitive.
A tight midfield race
The midfield pack behind the Big Three looks closer than ever. Williams look quickest, but Force India, Toro Rosso, Renault, and Haas aren’t far behind. Renault-powered teams should be quicker in Melbourne that in testing due to updates, and until teams have fully gotten to grips with the new regulations, expect close racing in the bottom half of the points.
Battle at the back
With Manor’s departure, Sauber are now the lowest placed team from last season. After financial struggles, Sauber will run 2016 Ferrari engines in their landmark 25th season in Formula One, likely leaving them adrift of the midfield pack. McLaren have endured another woeful start to the season, with chassis issues and reliability problems with Honda. Expect Sauber and McLaren to bring up the rear of the grid.
Faster lap times
2017’s new regulations aim to deliver lap times that are five seconds quicker than last season. In winter testing, the fastest time was 3.366 seconds quicker than last year’s pole lap in Barcelona. With increased downforce, drivers can go flat out around more corners than ever, so expect them to race on the edge more often.
Fewer pit stops
With harder compound tyres developed by Pirelli for this season, teams are predicting fewer pit stops per race, with many teams forecasting a one stop strategy in Melbourne. Drivers can now push for longer periods on their stints, although tyre degradation will still be an issue, especially at the hotter races.
Less overtaking?
Modern F1 cars struggle when following in the dirty air of the car in front, which has made pure overtaking difficult in the past few seasons. (unless you’re Max Verstappen!) And with the 2017 cars more reliant on aerodynamics, expect the issues to be multiplied. Several drivers, like Lewis Hamilton, have voiced such concerns. Drivers will need to rely more on DRS, but hopefully harder tyres and faster lap times will off-set the problem.
More Liberty
New owners Liberty Media seem to want to remove much of F1’s red tape that has kept drivers and teams frustratingly buttoned up for years. After Lewis Hamilton was criticised for broadcasting from a press conference on social media last year, social media rules seem to have been relaxed this season. Teams were more active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during preseason testing, and hopefully that will continue throughout the year. Rules have also been relaxed on track. The so-called “Verstappen Rule”, which was brought in last season to curb defending drivers from moving too much under braking, has been scrapped. Drivers now seem more free to battle as they see fit, with a penalty only being levied if an incident can be completely blamed on one driver.
Let the 2017 season begin…
